Cause to give thanks

Friday

Nov 17, 2017 at 8:23 AM

WALPOLE – Twenty-six years ago Dianne Langer organized a mission through the South Walpole United Methodist Church to serve warm Thanksgiving meals to area residents in need.

That first year she helped bring turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and other traditional Thanksgiving fare to 80-90 people. Over the years that number has grown. Last year, with the help of many volunteers, the church provided nearly 150 meals.

"It’s grown steadily, and more people have become aware of the meal we offer throughout the communities that we serve," Langer said. "With an aging population, it’s always going to grow."

That first year, Langer invited folks to the church for a community meal. Over the years, she found that many people preferred to eat their meal at home and others, mainly seniors, were unable to travel to the church to eat, but were still in need of a meal.

At one point the group also offered meals to local police and fire departments, but found they had to focus more on the growing number of people in need.

"It was nice to be able to do that, but they all understood that we needed to focus on the growth of those needing help," Langer said.

Once the Thanksgiving mission started delivering meals to recipients’ homes, the program expanded and a committee was formed to support Langer’s efforts.

Today, Langer reaches out to the community, gathering the names and address of those in need. Penny Dean coordinates the food donations and Carol Nelson is in charge of managing the volunteers.

It takes 50-70 volunteers to make the program a success, Langer said.

As part of the Thanksgiving meal mission, the committee also reaches out to area schools and churches, asking children to participate in the "Blessing Letters" project.

Children color and decorate letters intended for each meal recipient, some even write a personal note.

"It’s really nice," Langer said. "We’ve had volunteers who deliver the meals say they see the letters up on the fridge from the year before."

To reach those in need, starting in early November, Langer networks with senior centers, schools and other organizations such as the St. Vincent De Paul Society to find out who is in need a meal.

Then, the night before Thanksgiving, the committee gathers at the church and preps for the following day. They work together and get the containers ready and pre-package items such as rolls.

Starting at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, the volunteers get to work. The first wave cooks and drops off turkeys, potatoes, squash and other foods. Next, volunteers create individual meals and get them ready for delivery. Finally 15-20 volunteers are designated to deliver the meals to each person’s home. Meals travel to Franklin, Foxboro, Walpole, Sharon, Norwood, Wrentham and Norfolk.

"We can get 150 meals ready in an hour and half, ready and out the door," Langer said. "The nice thing about this mission is that the volunteers can still go home after and be with their families."

This Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 23, the church is looking for volunteers to bring the following food items: potatoes, carrots, squash, pies, rolls and cranberry sauce. Organizers estimate they will also need eight 16-pound cooked turkeys to be able to service all of those in need. Food that needs to be cooked should be done so prior to dropping off.

For more information on food donations, email penldean@aol.com. For more information about all volunteer opportunities email lou_nelson@verizon.net. For those who need a meal, or if you know of someone who need a meal, email ladydilanger@juno.com.

Langer asks those seeking a meal to reach out by Nov. 20 as it helps organizers determine how much food is needed.

"But it’s OK if it’s after that. We have never turned anyone away," Langer said.

People who can’t volunteer but still want to help can make a monetary donation to help purchase pies and cover other expenses, such as the food containers, postage for letters and other administrative costs.

Checks can be made out to "South Walpole United Methodist Church" and mailed to P.O. Box 144, South Walpole, MA 02071. In the memo line of the check write, "Thanksgiving Mission"

While organizing the mission is a lot of work, Langer said it’s worth it.

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
Sharon Advocate ~ 254 Second Ave., Needham, Massachusetts 02494 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service